The present invention relates to a control apparatus and a control method for a robot arm for generating and teaching an assembly method to a robot that performs assembly in a factory, for example, an assembly robot having a control apparatus for a robot arm, a program for a robot arm, and a control-purpose integrated electronic circuit for a robot arm.
In recent years, cellular manufacturing is becoming actively employed in factories. According to cellular manufacturing, a wide variety of tasks, such as a screw tightening task or a fitting task and an attaching task of components, an inserting task and a polishing task of a flexible circuit board or the like, are mostly carried out manually.
Further, as to electric products such as mobile phones, the number of models thereof is increasing, and additionally, model change frequently occurs for each of such models. Accordingly, a specification change or a change in the task procedure of handled components frequently occurs.
In order for the tasks to be automated by robots, the tasks must address a wide variety of components or task procedures with flexibility.
To this end, a change in components or in task procedures must be taught easily and quickly.
An exemplary teaching method for a robot apparatus is performed as follows. A force sensor is attached to the wrist of a robot, and a teaching person directly grips a handle attached to the tip of the force sensor so as to guide the robot to teaching points. Thus, the positions of the robot are taught (see Patent Document 1).
What is also performed is as follows. When a robot is taught by being directly gripped, the robot comprehends the intention of the task teaching person and manipulation feel in force control is automatically changed during the teaching work (see Patent Document 2).